


Light (fierrochase hogwarts au)

by quackcanadian



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/M, Genderfluid Alex Fierro, He/Him Pronouns for Alex Fierro, Hogwarts AU, M/M, Magnus gets sick lol, Multi, She/Her Pronouns For Alex Fierro, Slytherin!Alex, fierrochase, hufflepuff!magnus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:29:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27812311
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quackcanadian/pseuds/quackcanadian
Summary: A fierrochase Hogwarts au, in which Magnus likes to paint and Alex has to take care of Magnus when he gets sick.At the start of their fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Magnus and the gang are joined by Alex Fierro. WhAt cOulD poSsiBlY Go WRoNg?am i gonna keep throwing in as many tropes as possible in here? absolutely.
Relationships: Halfborn Gunderson/Mallory Keen, Magnus Chase & Alex Fierro, Magnus Chase/Alex Fierro, Samirah al-Abbas/Amir Fadlan
Comments: 16
Kudos: 58





	1. Intro!!

Hi friends!! i am so happy u chose to read this oml thank you thank you thank you 

A few things to say before i jump in!

1\. All credit to Rick Riordan, his characters, and his universe obviously ✨  
2\. I think Alex Fierro’s existence is proof enough that this fic is not meant to show support for JK Rowling !! I do not support her or her ideals in any way at all. Her transphobic views are harmful and disgusting, and I in no way condone her actions. We love everyone here and know that trans lives matter. I just decided to use hogwarts as the AU for this fic.  
3\. Obviously this is just a story I’m writing for fun, so a lot of the world stuff won’t make any sense lol. I am but a teenager writing fanfiction. Magnus, Alex, Hearth, Sam, and so on still have their powers, and are children of Norse gods, they just also happen to … be wizards. I also made up a rule that starting in fourth year, you can hang with your friends from different houses in either of your common rooms. Also sitting with your house is only required at dinner, and anyone can sit at any house table for breakfast and lunch. And, you know, Odin is the headmaster. Yeah!  
4\. On a final note, I would absolutely love if you all could help me in check with accuracy in representation! As we all should know by now Rick made many errors in how he portrayed Samirah and her faith and his way of writing Alex’s gender fluidity was far from perfect. I am neither Muslim nor genderfluid, and sadly only have Rick’s example to follow, (see the importance of diversifying TBRs?) so please please please feel free to comment ways I can better portray them!! 

sorry that got long but love u all and thank u again so so much for reading ❤️❤️❤️❤️ xoxo starting story now


	2. 1. The Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magnus and his friends start their fifth year at Hogwarts, when Sam shows up with a surprise— her sister Alex Fierro will be joining them for the year.

Magnus was content. 

He, and all his friends, had finally returned for their fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry— and, in their case, the demigod children of Norse deities. 

He couldn’t wait to meet up with Samirah after the welcoming feast. Though she technically lived in Boston, she had spent this past summer doing an intensive in aviation at a muggle university. Her and her grandparents had lived with relatives in North Dakota for three months while she did the program. Magnus shuddered to think about what there was to do for fun in North Dakota, but hey, it was what made her happy. He also knew that his time with her tonight would be fleeting, because her boyfriend, Amir, would probably have priority. A smile tugged his mouth upwards. Their first four years at Hogwarts had been full of agonizing pining between the two of them. Being Samirah’s best friend, and Amir’s roommate, Magnus had the incredibly frustrating role of watching them fall in love but refuse to act on it for four years. Spoiler alert: they got together at the Yule Ball. Partly thanks to a scheme of Magnus, Hearthstone, and Blitzen. But that’s a story for another day. 

“Mags, did you hear that?” Amir nudged Magnus and pointed to where Headmaster Odin was giving his annual welcoming speech. “They’re starting a cooking club after classes on Thursdays! In the potions hall!”

Magnus smiled. “I’d say I’ll come with, but I think I’d rather let the magic of Fadlan’s stay a secret. ”  
Amir laughed. Of course Amir would be excited about a cooking club. His muggle parents taught him everything he knew— he was a wizard in the kitchen, literally and figuratively. 

“Hey, have you seen Sam?” Magnus asked, suddenly realizing he couldn’t spot Sam’s familiar green hijab anywhere at the  
Slytherin table. 

“Oh, yeah. I forgot to tell you, actually!” Amir said, and Magnus’s stomach lurched. “Her step-sibling, Alex, is transferring to Hogwarts this year. She told me— wait, there they are now, actually. Look,” he said, and pointed to the entrance of the hall. 

Magnus turned his gaze to the huge doors in the back of the hall. 

In walked Samirah, her dark cheeks flushed red, with a lanky, green-haired person in tow. Something made Magnus’s stomach drop as he watched them come down the aisle. 

“Alex is genderfluid. You should ask for his or her pronouns when you get the chance, to be respectful.” Amir told him. Magnus nodded. 

Their Slytherin robes swished behind them as they walked, and their heels echoed quietly through the hall. Odin continued his speech, but he did not pause at their late entry. Magnus halfheartedly wondered why they were so late. Somewhere in his mind asked when Alex was sorted into Slytherin, being new to Hogwarts this year. Mostly, though, his brain felt like TV static. All he could do was watch them find empty spots along the bench. 

“As always, let us conclude this feast with our school song. New students, please look just behind me for the words. Sing any tune you would like. Ready? And a one, a two, a three…” 

A giant white screen displaying a PowerPoint presentation of the Hogwarts school song dropped down above the teachers’ table. The whole school began singing in a cacophony of tunes. Magnus laughed and kept singing. 

Yup, he was glad to be home. 

***

Together, Magnus and Amir went to the Slytherin common room to meet up with Samirah. They had agreed to come at 9pm so she could let them in. Magnus knocked once on the door when it swung open aggressively. 

“Good. You’re here.” She said. Seeing Amir behind Magnus, partially hidden by the darkness of the dungeon, a dorky grin spread on her face. Magnus rolled his eyes but smiled. She leaned against the door so they could enter. Magnus walked in and found a seat on the black leather couches, letting the two of them have their moment. He wondered if it was difficult for them to refrain from tackling each other with hugs right about now. Even he, who wasn’t much of a hugger, found it difficult not to engulf Sam in a hug after not seeing her for so long. Her self-control and mindfulness never failed to amaze him. 

After a brief chat, with lots of blushing, the two joined Magnus by the fire. 

“I’m so glad to see you two. You have no idea how crazy my life has been lately.” Samirah told them. 

Magnus raised his eyebrows. “Like, more than usual?” He asked, referring to her status as a Valkyrie, a witch, an expert axe-wielder, and the daughter of Loki, among other things. 

“Fair point,” she conceded. “Still, so much has gone on in the past two weeks I don’t even know where to begin. It all started when we got home from North Dakota. First of all, my dad contacted me—“ 

“Woah, woah, Loki talked to you?” Magnus was taken aback. 

“How? When?” Amir asked. He looked concerned. 

“In a dream. It was awful. I couldn’t make myself wake up. He told me that I would see ‘big changes’ this year.” She put the words in air quotes. “That could mean absolutely anything. But then, the next day— this was last Wednesday— I wake up to find Odin sitting at my kitchen table.” 

Magnus tried to picture the All Father sitting in Samirah’s grandparents kitchen. He wondered if the ravens came along. 

“He told me that Alex Fierro would be starting at Hogwarts this year, and it was my job to help her get settled,” Samirah continued. 

“Well, you are at the top of our class at Hogwarts, and a Valkyrie, and one of Odin’s personal soldiers, and not to mention her stepsister…” Magnus pointed out, unhelpfully. 

Sam didn’t respond. She just shot him a grade A ‘shut up’ look. She continued, “It’s not that I don’t like Alex. I think she’s really cool. It’s just that I’m now responsible for a sister that I’ve known for five days, and my dad left me with this ominous message, and my poor grandparents don’t know what to think—“

“Brother, at the moment,” said a voice from behind them. Magnus swiveled around to see Alex jump over the back of the couch and plop down into the space between Sam and Amir. 

“I’m sorry. Brother.” Samirah apologized. “Are you unpacked yet?” 

“Mostly. I’m still waiting for someone to explain where the showers are. But other than that, I’m good.”

“Don’t our bags magically unpack themselves?” Magnus asked. He wasn’t sure why he spoke. Something about his brain felt like it was short circuiting and his brain to mouth filter was shut off. 

Alex looked in his direction, with a smile that could only be described as scheming. “Yeah, they told me that, but I told them I have too many valuables to be put away by anything except the experienced hands of myself.” 

Magnus couldn’t help but be distracted by Alex’s striking different-colored eyes. He wish he could remember what the other boy had just said, but instead he found himself staring at Alex’s eyes deeply enough that Alex scrunched his eyebrows and turned back to Sam. Magnus looked around the room to get himself out of this daze. 

“So, what’s up for tomorrow?” Alex continued, stretching his long legs out and folding his arms behind his head. 

Samirah leaned back into the couch. “I’ve got quidditch practice early before class starts. Do you have your class schedules?”  
She looked over at Amir and Magnus. 

“I haven’t picked mine up yet, have you?” Magnus asked Amir. 

“Yeah, I grabbed it after dinner. Can I see yours, Sam?” Amir said. 

“Yeah, I left it in my room, though. I’ll show you at breakfast tomorrow.” 

Amir nodded. “What about you, Alex? Do you have yours?” 

“Nah, after dinner I rushed back to the common room to check on my unpacked bags. They wouldn’t let Sam steal mine for me from the table.” 

“You and Magnus should go together tomorrow, he knows the drill.” Samirah suggested. 

Alex nodded. “Sounds good to me.” Magnus nodded and agreed. 

After a moment of silence, Samirah said, “I wish I could stay longer to chat, but I’m so tired and practice is so early tomorrow. I’ll see you guys in the morning.” She got up from the couch, and Amir followed suit. She led her boyfriend back to the door. 

Magnus didn’t know what to do with himself without Samirah and Amir as a buffer between him and Alex, so he awkwardly cleared his throat and got up from the couch. Alex seemed preoccupied observing his nails, which were painted a lovely shade of rose. 

“Um, I’ll see you tomorrow then, I guess? I’ll come find you at breakfast.” Magnus said. 

Alex looked up to Magnus with a somehow mischievous smile and said “Yup, see you then.” 

Magnus walked over to the door, and he and Amir headed back to the Hufflepuff common room. 

***  
11:24 P.M.

Magnus couldn’t sleep. He had been staring at the ceiling of his and Amir’s dorm for thirty minutes. He went to bed tired, but now he felt totally wide awake. 

However, this was not his first time with this problem. He had a solution. 

Quietly, he slipped out of bed and put on the duck slippers that Mallory had given him for Christmas as a joke. The joke was on her; he wore them around the common room every night. And sometimes through the hallways when he couldn’t sleep. 

He wrapped a throw blanket around his shoulders and grabbed his wand for light. As silently as he could, he slipped out the door and through the Hufflepuff common room. 

Being located in the basement of the castle, the Hufflepuff common room could only be entered by crawling through a passageway. That being said, the common room had multiple passageways that allowed for easy access to other parts of the basement, if you knew where to look. 

Thankfully, Magnus did. 

By one of the fireplaces was a self portrait of a painter as she painted. During his second year, Magnus had a sleepless night, and had padded down to the common room for a change of scenery. He’d heard “PsstsHe’d heard someone saying “psst,” and of course, it was the painting. The painted painter— named Margaret— directed him to tap his wand twice on the left side of her portrait, then state the feeling he was currently feeling. She told him it served as her inspiration for the painting she was making. Magnus was a little skeptical of this, because her canvas was turned away from the viewer, but he didn’t ask questions. 

Tonight, Magnus told her “Green.” 

He wasn’t really sure what this meant, but he was just feeling rather green. Green like Slytherin, like Sam’s hijab, like the plants in herbology, like Alex Fierro’s wavy hair. 

The lady in the portrait nodded. “That’s an interesting one. You’re starting early this year with your visits, hm?” She began swirling colors on the palette in her hand, occasionally looking up at Magnus. 

Magnus shrugged and pulled his blanket back over his shoulders. “I guess so. A visit to you always seems to cure me, Margaret,” he said with a smile. 

Margaret the painted lady smiled, looking pleased. “Always happy to help a friend.” Magnus felt warmth and comfort fill his heart. He was very thankful for Margaret and her kindness. He reminded himself to bring her some new paints soon. She flourished her left hand, which held her paintbrush, and the portrait gently swung off the wall, revealing a sizable passageway. 

“See you in a bit,” he said, then crawled into the passageway. He lit up his wand and crawled until he reached the end. He gently pushed on the canvas which signified the end of the tunnel and was met with the hidden art studio lit only by the moonlight. He smiled to himself again. This was his favorite place at Hogwarts. 

He stepped out of the passage and gingerly swing the portrait back in his place. The painted man was snoozing away, and his bowler hat gently bristled when Magnus pushed the frame back against the wall. 

Magnus walked to the wooden table set up in the center of the room. He wouldn’t necessarily call himself good at art, but he sure did find it stress relieving. 

Another great thing about the room— you never had to bring your own supplies. It was enchanted to give you whatever supplies you desired. Tonight, a few pieces of thick paper appeared in front of Magnus, alongside eight different shades of green paint and some brushes and water. His lips curled into an ironic smile. It was kind of funny. 

He wasn’t sure what he wanted to paint, so he took one piece of paper and pushed the rest aside. With one final adjustment to the blanket around his shoulders, he started making strokes to test out the different colors and how they looked together. 

Once that page was filled, he put it aside and picked up a second one. This time, he knew what he wanted to make. As soon as he dipped his brush in one color, a wooden palette appeared next to him, the magic knowing he’d want to mix it with a darker  
shade. He grinned again. Magic is so cool.

Swirling the colors on the page, two S-like shapes started to take form, intertwining with each other in looping designs. He leaned close to the paper and was bouncing his foot on the stool, humming a song he couldn’t get out of his head from the How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack. He tapped the fingers of his right hand against the table as he painted with his left.  
He started bouncing his head to the tune of the song, when, 

“Woah, what are you doing here?” Came a voice from the doorway. 

Magnus whipped his head over his shoulder and felt his cheeks go red. Why in the world was Alex Fierro in his secret insomnia hiding spot? 

“Um. How did you find this place?” Magnus asked, dumbfounded. As far as he knew, there were no ways in or out of this room other than his secret passageway behind Margaret. 

“Didn’t answer my question, but I found a passageway in the common room.” Alex stood in front of a wooden door that had apparently appeared in the past twelve seconds, because Magnus had never seen it there before. His arms were folded over his chest, eyebrows raised. 

Magnus nodded slowly. “Uh, there’s a passageway in the Hufflepuff common room, too. I just got here.” 

Alex’s expression softened slightly (or maybe Magnus imagined it) and he walked towards the table slowly. “Cute slippers.”

Magnus tilted his head and admired the ducks on his feet under the table. “A birthday gift from Mallory. Have you met her yet?” 

Alex had a grin growing on his lips. Magnus felt wary. “Yes. I like her attitude. Why ducks?”

Magnus went over the easiest way to explain the whole I-can-talk-to-animals phenomenon, but figured, for now, he’d leave it at “It’s a long story.”

While there was usually just one stool at the table, since Magnus had only ever been here alone, a second one suddenly appeared next to him. Alex grinned even wider. “I’ve got time.” He sat on the stool, and suddenly a pot appeared on the table. He scrunched his eyebrows. “How did that get there?” 

Magnus put down the paintbrush he was still holding. “The room’s enchanted. Or the table. I’m not sure, but whatever you need or require to make some art, it appears in front of you. What’s with the pot?”

Alex picked up the pot and checked the bottom. He ran his long fingers over the design with a confused look. Magnus noticed an insignia was there— two snakes forming a curling pattern. He felt his stomach lurch. It was weirdly similar to the design he had just painted, except that insignia felt a little more ancient. Maybe a little meaner. He thought of his painted snakes more like garden snakes looking for a worm to eat or something. But the shape was definitely the same. 

Alex had noticed this, too. He compared the pot’s insignia to Magnus’s painting, then met Magnus’s eyes when he spoke. “The pot is something I made back home. Not only did I leave it at home, I smashed it against a wall. Along with, like, twenty others.” 

“What did the pots do to offend you?” 

Alex scoffed. “Miss my dad’s head.” 

Magnus wasn’t one to judge parental problems. He had his fair share. The look on his face must’ve been good, though, because Alex laughed. 

“I’m kidding.” Alex continued, smirking again. “I was mad at my dad and took it out on these pots I had in my room. I had no use for them if I was being shipped off to magical boarding school for the foreseeable future.”

“Do you have a pot collection or something?” Magnus asked dumbly. 

“No, dummy, I made them. Pottery’s my stress reliever.” Alex played with the pot in his hands, then set it down. “Kinda wish had some—“ he paused. “Paints.” He said appreciatively, nodding as as a rainbow of acrylics appeared on a palette next to him. Brushes came a second later. 

Magnus grinned. Alex did, too. 

“Mind if I paint my pot?”

“As long as I can finish my snakes.” 

The two got to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope u liked this opening chapter !! next one may or may not involve them getting to know each other in this magical painting studio at 1 am ;)


	3. 2. Illicit Affairs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Magnus start getting to know each other in the pottery studio and in herbology. They do some snooping around the castle while they’re supposed to be watching the quidditch match, but something spoils their fun...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyy! sry this took a little over a week to update, it’s been hectic lately lol. i cant thank u all enough for the kudos and comments 😭😭 thank you for reading!! this chapter was fun to write :)

It didn’t take long for Alex to decide that he liked Magnus. 

This came as a shock to his system, because he usually didn’t deem someone likable for a long time after meeting them. 

However, something about Magnus’s dry humor and the whole “sunshine-y but I pretend I’m tough” thing he had going on was drawing Alex in. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that. 

“You know, you never did answer my question.” Alex said, beginning to mix colors on his palette. 

Magnus’s gray eyes were focused on his painting, but he raised his eyebrows. “Hm? Which one?”

Alex had to fight the urge to roll his eyes at the lack of acknowledgment. “Why are you in this enchanted studio at,” he glanced around the room to find a clock, “twelve fourteen A.M.?” 

“Couldn’t sleep. I came here a lot last year when I couldn’t get tired. What about you?”

“Interesting,” Alex said, beginning to make blue strokes on his pot. “I couldn’t sleep either. Except that was because an insufferable owl would not stop who-ing, so I had to go give them a piece of my mind.”

“What was an owl doing in the Slytherin dungeon? There are, like, two windows in that whole space.” Magnus looked up to Alex as he asked this. Alex couldn’t help but laugh. Something in Magnus’s tone was funny to him. 

Alex noted that Magnus’s first question was about the logistics of a bird making noise in a dungeon and not about giving an owl a piece of his mind. His subconscious awarded Magnus a few more likability points for pointing out the less obvious. 

“I don’t know, but I got him to shut up with a few strongly worded hoots.” At this point, Alex was basically baiting Magnus to ask how he was talking to an owl. He wouldn’t admit it, but maybe some part of him kind of wanted to show off his abilities to the other boy. He was sure the shapeshifter conversation would come up sooner or later, he told himself. Might as well get it out there now. 

Magnus laughed and went back to painting. Did he think he was kidding? Or was he just sleep deprived? Alex wasn’t sure.   
After a moment of both of them working on their respective pieces, Magnus broke the silence. “Is pottery hard?”

Alex looked up to Magnus for a second to find Magnus already looking at him. He quickly looked back down to his paintbrush and pot. “Not really, when you learn from someone good. I learned from my grandfather. Where’d you learn to paint?” Magnus nodded at this. “I never really learned. I don’t do it for anything except clearing my head. I end up throwing most of it away, actually.” 

Alex peeked over at Magnus’s painting, then leaned over the table on his elbows to examine it closer. He felt his green hair shift to cover his eyes, kind of invading Magnus’s personal space. Against his will, he smirked. He hoped Magnus couldn’t see it. 

“I kind of have a thing for snakes, if you couldn’t tell. This is pretty good, if you ask me.” Alex told him, running his fingers through his hair so he could look up at Magnus. 

Alex saw a tint of pink on Magnus’s cheeks. He felt a twinge of pride but chose to ignore it. 

Magnus started to speak, then stopped, evidently not knowing what to say. “Um— thanks.” He said with a small smile. “Are snakes your logo, or something? Like on the bottom of your pot?”

Alex was pleased that he’d noticed. “Sort of. Check this out.” He turned his head and  
pushed his hair up off his neck so Magnus could see the tattoo. 

“Woah,” Magnus said. “Cool.” Alex felt Magnus lightly skim his fingers over his neck. His fingers were cold, and it sent shivers down Alex’s spine. 

“Your fingers are cold.” Alex told him. 

“Cold hands, warm heart.” 

Alex moved back to his stool. He was upset to see that his pot was mostly painted. And then, promptly after this, became upset that he was upset about being done painting the pot. The hell? 

Before he could stop himself, he said, “You know, I always wished I was better at painting these pots. Maybe I’ll commission you to paint one. We could make serious cash by selling them.”

Magnus laughed. He tipped Alex’s near-done pot and examined it. “I’m not sure I could do much better.” He put the pot back down, then said, “I wouldn’t mind learning how to make a pot for myself, though. I never knew how pottery worked.” 

The way Magnus’s eyes widened revealed that he was shocked at his own boldness. Alex felt a Cheshire Cat grin spread on his face. “Maybe on our next midnight paint-date I’ll show you the ropes.” 

Magnus blushed again, but smiled. Alex grinned wider. Magnus added, “Maybe I’ll give you some painting lessons, too. In the name of starting a business partnership in our painted ceramics, of course.” 

Alex laughed, and Magnus smiled wider. He reached his hand out to Magnus, and Magnus took it. They shook hands and held eye contact for just a second too long. Alex’s grin didn’t fade when he said, “Alright, this was fun, but it’s, like, one A.M. We both need sleep.” 

“Agreed.” Magnus got up from the table and picked up the green blanket he had with him that had been forgotten on the floor. 

Alex had started to clean up his mess, but by Magnus’s lack of movement, he figured the table was self-cleaning, too. “Not taking your painting?” Alex asked. 

“Not taking your pot?” Magnus quipped. 

Alex rolled his eyes. “What would I need a little blue pot for in my dorm?” He deadpanned. 

“What would I need a painting of snakes for in my dorm?” Magnus asked, shrugging animatedly. 

“Touché.” Alex said. “Can I keep it?” In hindsight, he wasn’t sure why this came out of his mouth. Probably because anyone would see it as a shame to have a piece of artwork thrown out. That was it. 

Magnus shrugged. “Sure,” he reached over for Alex’s pot, and added, “as long as I can keep this.”

Alex smiled. “It would make for a wonderful place to keep jewelry.”

“Or a really big snail.” Magnus said, examining the pot seriously. Alex burst out laughing.

“That’s so stupid.” Alex said. 

Magnus smiled. “I try.” 

A moment passed. Not knowing what else to say, and kind of, maybe, just a little sad about leaving the secret art studio (not Magnus), Alex said, “I’ll see you in the morning, I guess. Meet outside the great hall to find our schedules?” 

Magnus nodded. He looked a little sleepy. Maybe dazed. “Sounds good.” He started walking towards a painting of a man. “See you tomorrow, Fierro.”

Alex mock saluted him as he backed towards the wall and the wooden door shimmered into appearance. “Later, Chase.” 

***

After a mildly uneventful breakfast spent with Magnus, Amir, and Mallory, Alex sat in herbology next to Halfborn Gunderson. Her original plan had been to sit next to Magnus, but of course the big guy had sat down to her right while Magnus gathered supplies at the front of the greenhouse, and the only seat left was on the other side of Halfborn. 

Magnus had grabbed three pots for them, as their first lesson of the year would consist of them potting Fanged Geraniums. Professor Sprout told them they would revisit the plants once a week and that their progress by December would determine 15% of their final grade. 

On the bright side, Alex liked Fanged Geraniums. A flower with pointy fangs? Please. Sign her up. Might as well be her in plant form. 

On the not-so-bright side, Alex hated herbology. Whatever the opposite of a green thumb was— Alex had it. She was much better at destroying things than keeping them alive, but at least she had long since accepted this. 

As class went on, though, she noticed Magnus had no such issues. He clearly had some kind of gift with these plants, because his pot had already sprouted a little bluish-green leaf. That should have been so beyond impossible. She peered at Halfborn, who had been having trouble arranging the seed in the perfect position due to his giant fingers. 

“I can do it, dude,” Magnus said, laughing a little. Halfborn laughed and pushed his pot over to Magnus, who proceeded to dig a little hole in the soil with gentle fingers and fold the soil over the seed. Alex watched appreciatively for a moment, then turned back to her own pot. 

She cracked her knuckles and got to work dumping soil into the pot. Professor Sprout had written instructions on the chalkboard at the front of the room, and Alex figured step one would be easy enough: three scoops of enchanted soil into a pot. She wondered if donating handcrafted pots to the class could get her extra credit. Or, better yet, excused from this long-term project. 

“Oh, now look at this!” Professor Sprout exclaimed, holding up Magnus’s pot for the class to see. Magnus’s ears turned pink. Alex rolled her eyes. Show off. 

“Five points to Hufflepuff. Excellent technique in massaging the soil.” She put the pot back down and continued surveying the rest of the students’ work. 

Alex leaned back in her stool to see around Halfborn. “Hey, wanna come massage my soil?” She asked Magnus cheerily. His ears turned even redder. Alex grinned coyly. Oh, how she loved non-sexual phrases that came off a little raunchy. 

Magnus got out of his stool and walked to her left. “I have no idea what she meant by ‘massage the soil.’ I think it’s a Frey thing.” Nonetheless, he pulled her pot to him and dug a hole with his fingers for the seed, making careful arrangements with the dirt. 

As Magnus worked, Alex asked, “So, what’s all the fuss about quidditch here?” She bounced her legs on the stool rungs. 

Halfborn jumped in. “Quidditch is the foundation of this school.”

“Little dramatic, man.” Magnus said, but he was smiling. “Halfborn, Sam, Mallory, TJ, they all play. A piece of advice: eat breakfast somewhere else on game day. The smack talk lasts for half an hour non-stop every time.”

Halfborn laughed and reached over to clap Magnus on the back. Magnus’s whole frame jolted forwards with the impact. “Come on, it’s all in good fun!” Halfborn said. 

“Quidditch is fun,” Magnus agreed. “The games are awesome.” Magnus finished what he was doing with Alex’s pot and slid it back to her. He kind of avoided her eyes as he went back to his seat. She knit her eyebrows. 

“So, you don’t play?” She asked, leaning back again to look at Magnus. 

Magnus shook his head. “I’m not much of an organized sport type of guy. I make an outstanding cheerleader for all of these guys, though. All four houses for the price of one.” 

Alex grinned. “Perfect. Wanna link up for the game then?”

Magnus opened his mouth to speak, then stopped. “I- uh- sure,” he seemed flustered. “First game of the year, though, mixing houses in the stands is hard.”

Alex rolled her eyes with a smile. “Please. I have my ways. Is this done, by the way?” She held up her pot for the two boys to see.

Halfborn shrugged. Magnus said, “Looks good to me.” Alex called that a win. She pushed it with Halfborn’s to the center of the table with everyone else’s finished pots. 

As the last few students pushed their pots into the center, Professor Sprout said “Alright, everyone, if you’re done with your pot, you’re free to go. We reconvene on Thursday.” Alex, Halfborn, and Magnus gathered their bags and left. 

*** 

Changing back into human form, Alex tapped Magnus on the shoulder. He promptly jumped about a foot off his seat. 

Magnus whipped his head around to see Alex grinning like a fox, crouching behind him where he sat. “How’d you get all the way over here?” 

“Long story,” she responded, figuring she could explain the whole shape-shifting thing later. 

“I’ve got time.” 

Alex deadpanned him. “Funny. Wanna get out of here?”

Magnus scrunched his eyebrows. “But the match just started! Look, Sam is out there. She’s the keeper.” 

Alex glanced over to her sister on a broom with green robes flowing behind her. “Yes, I know. Isn’t it hard to see from up here? 

They look like ants. Maybe the lightheadedness from altitude tricks people into thinking it’s fun to spectate this sport.” 

Magnus sighed. “I can’t just ditch Amir.” 

Alex looked at Amir, who was standing at the front of the Hufflepuff stands with a huge green sign that said “YALLA!!” accompanied by a big picture of Samirah that resembled something a kindergartener might paint. Alex found this an artistic monstrosity yet very endearing. Amir had a ridiculously goofy grin on his face. 

Alex looked from Amir to Magnus. “I think he’ll survive.”

Magnus sighed again. “Maybe I am feeling a little lightheaded,” he said sarcastically. “Let’s go.” He stood up, and Alex followed suit with a smile. The two descended from the Hufflepuff stands and started towards the pathway back to Hogwarts. 

“So, where should we go?” Alex asked. 

“Um, I kinda figured you had a plan.”

“I’ve been here for three days compared to your four years. C’mon, any secret passageways? Hidden rooms? Forbidden quarters?” 

“The only secret room I know of you already found! Our best bet is finding something new to break into— explore, that is.” Magnus waved his hands dramatically for effect. Alex laughed. 

“You’re right. How about…” she stepped forward and turned to face Magnus. “The secret hatch in the basement that has a staircase leading straight to Odin’s office?” 

“Your grin is scaring me.” 

Alex grinned wider. “Good.” She grabbed Magnus’s wrist and started marching towards the castle. 

“When did you have the time to find this hatch?” Magnus asked, picking up his pace to keep up with Alex’s strides. 

“Uhh, yesterday, I think. Just making my rounds during Potions.” 

“Skipping potions? That takes guts.”

“I live on the edge,” she answered, looking back at him for a quick glance. “Just a 20-minute bathroom break is all it takes.” The two now approached a garden that had an entrance to a wing of the first floor. They walked past countless stone arches and went back inside the castle. 

“I wonder if you could hear what they say in Odin’s office from this hatch.”

Alex laughed. “Oh believe me, you can. I couldn’t stay long enough to hear more than a few words about second-floor girls’ bathrooms, but it was crystal clear.” Alex led Magnus down the hallways, each one getting slightly narrower and more seemingly lifeless as they went on. Alex eventually put her arm out to stop Magnus in his tracks. She pressed an ear to the wall, then pushed in a single brick. Below her, bricks spiraled away to reveal a small wooden hatch-door no bigger than three feet tall. 

“Ready?” She had a slightly manic glint in her eyes. 

“This feels… wrong.” He paused. “But also… let’s go.” And so they pulled open the door and started ascending the spiraling staircase. The cement walls provided no light, so they both cast Lumos to be able to see. 

As Alex had previously discovered, it was a surprisingly long climb up. They didn’t want to make noise, so they didn’t speak as they walked. 

“Hey, Alex—“ Magnus started. 

Alex cut him off with a finger to his lips. “Shh.” His eyes crossed as he looked at her finger. She turned around and kept going up. 

“Alex—“ Magnus started again. 

Alex turned around in irritation. “What—“ her eyes widened in shock. “Oh gods, are you okay?” Magnus’s skin had gone pale and he was leaning heavily on the wall behind him. His face was droopy. He had a smile on his face the way loopy people smiled with his gray eyes half shut. She held her wand up to his face and bent down. He squinted at the bright light in his eyes. Alex’s heart started beating faster. 

“I don’t… feel so good.” Magnus said, then promptly passed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oH nOoO wHaT iS HApPPEniNg? do i sense .... alex taking care of sick magnus in the future ?!?!???


	4. 3. Jeez, it’s cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Magnus, Samirah, and Alex begin wondering why Magnus fainted, and what’s causing him to be incurably cold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this is so late lol!! FINALLY submitted my last college apps (yay!) and America is currently experiencing a domestic coup so things have been a little crazy, but nonetheless fierrochase remains a constant. here’s the chapter, it’s not too plot-heavy but hopefully u like it anyways!!! love each and every one of u reading this!!!

Magnus awoke to the sound of muffled voices. 

“Would you please shut up?”

“He’s basically in a coma. We could set off a fire alarm and he’d stay asleep.”

“Don’t say that! He’s not in a coma.”

“Wanna test the fire alarm theory?” 

“Wait! Shh! He moved his hand!” 

The voices quickly stopped. Magnus groggily opened his eyes, and was met with a dimly lit infirmary. It must’ve been late at night, because the only light was from the orangish glow of candles. 

“Magnus?” He recognized the voice as Samirah’s.  
“Present.” He rasped. His throat felt like sandpaper, and his tongue felt like a dried up sponge. He coughed to clear his throat, and his lungs made a sound like Wheezy from Toy Story. Ah, the joys of asthma. 

His friends fussed and gathered around his bed. From left to right, TJ, Samirah, Amir, Halfborn, Mallory, and Alex formed a semicircle. 

“Nice one, Beantown. Giving Alex a heart attack on her fourth day at Hogwarts.” Mallory said, her arms crossed over her chest, somehow managing to look defensive and concerned at the same time. Alex elbowed the redhead aggressively in the side. Mallory didn’t so much as wince. 

“Aw, you do care.” Magnus said weakly, looking to Alex on his right. “Sorry I freaked you guys out—“ he tried to push himself up a little bit, so he was more ninety degrees, but Alex quickly pushed his shoulder back down with her fingers. His whole body already felt like gelatin, and Alex touching him even in the most casual of ways most certainly did not help. He was afraid he might melt into a puddle. 

“Not so fast. Madame Pomfrey says you’re resting here for at least one more night,” Alex said. 

Magnus scrunched his eyebrows. “How long have I been here?” 

Halfborn answered. “You passed out with Alex on Monday night, so two full days. It’s Wednesday night now.”

“What time is it?” 

Halfborn checked the watch on his wrist, which looked a little funny on his huge arm. “1:12 A.M.” 

Magnus looked around at his group of friends. “Why in the world aren’t you all asleep?” His head felt like it was full of cement and his body felt like liquid. 

“What, like we’d leave you here to rot? Some friends we’d be,” Mallory remarked. Magnus couldn’t believe the sincerity of her expression. 

“Gee, thanks. I think.” Magnus said, reaching for a cup of water on his bedside table. Alex slapped his hand away and got it for him. He must have a fever, he thought, because his face felt like it was literally on fire. 

Chills went through his whole body and he pulled his covers up to his chin. “What have you been doing all night?”

Even with his groggy eyes, he caught Alex’s signature smirk. “Playing Uno with TJ’s enchanted deck.” 

“Ugh. I miss playing that.” Magnus said, feeling himself being pulled back into sleep.

TJ patted his shoulder gently, and said, “As soon as you’re better, buddy. Get some rest now.” TJ had a very soothing voice. Magnus mumbled something like, “You too,” but it probably sounded more like “Mooo,” and he fell asleep again. 

***

This time when Magnus awoke, he opened his eyes, then immediately squeezed them shut due to the bright light of morning. With his eyes shut, he evaluated how his body felt from head to toe. He still felt a little like jello all over, and he definitely had something going on in his sinuses, but at least he felt less recently deceased than the last time he was conscious. He saw that as a win. Slowly, he opened his eyes to scan his surroundings. The bed to his left was apparently unoccupied by a patient, because in it were Alex and Samirah. They leaned up against the headboard, kind of sitting up, but Sam’s head was on Alex’s shoulder and Alex’s head rested on Samirah’s. Magnus would have given absolutely anything for a camera. The cuteness of them made his heart pound a happy rhythm. 

As he now felt capable of forming a coherent thought (as opposed to last night’s mess), he was affronted with a glaring fact: he genuinely never got sick. He couldn’t even remember a time when he’d had the sniffles or a sore throat. Something was definitely wrong, but he suspected it didn’t have to do with his immune system. 

Something was off with his magic. He didn’t know if it was about him specifically, or the school itself, or Frey’s power, but something was off-kilter, and a voice in the back of his mind was telling him he needed a solution, fast. To help ease his whirring thoughts, and his sore throat, he reached over for some water. He absentmindedly noticed that someone had brought fresh uniform clothes for him, and his heart warmed a little. Unfortunately, while he was reaching for the glass, he knocked over an unlit candle and its holder, and it clanged to the floor obnoxiously loudly. He stared at Alex and Sam, hoping they wouldn’t notice, but Sam sat up in a flash. 

“What happened?” She asked, alert at once. 

“Uh, sorry. Morning!” Magnus said sheepishly, his voice sounding less rasping and more squeaky, like a pubescent teenage boy. Which he barely wasn’t, by, like, two years. 

Alex started slowly waking up due to the loss of Samirah’s warmth. “You look awful,” she stated at Magnus, rubbing her eyes groggily. 

“Nice to see you too,” Magnus squeaked. 

Sam got up and put the candle back on the nightstand. She filled up his water glass and handed it to him, putting her hands on her hips as he started drinking. 

“Magnus. I have never seen you get sick before. Do you know what’s causing this?” Sam said, obviously concerned. 

“I’m gonna guess it’s not seasonal allergies.” Magnus responded, looking at her over his glass. 

Sam rolled her eyes. “Har-har. Do you feel anything changing with your magic?”

Magnus evaluated his body for any tingling sensations or feelings of magical intervention, but came back blank. “Um, not that I can tell. When do you think Madame Pomfrey will come back? I don’t wanna miss class again today. It’s Thursday, right?”

Alex swung her legs over the side of her bed and leaned back on her hands. “Yeah. If you’re good to come to Herbology at least that would be a real life saver for Halfborn and I.”

Samirah gave Alex a glare. Alex shrugged. “Just saying. And hey, if you don’t come back, that means one of us will have to tend to your plant. We all know how that would end.”

“I don’t think I have a choice, Sam. The life of that poor Fanged Geranium would be endangered. And my Herbology grade. And my pride.” Magnus said, coughing as soon as he finished. He downed more water. Alex snickered at the comment, which made Magnus somehow proud, a feeling he had no explanation for. 

Samirah eyed Magnus again. “She should be in soon. She checks on the patients every morning, and you’re one of two people in here, so, you know. Not a long waiting list.” 

Magnus sighed, sinking lower into his sheets. “That’s good.” He finished the water from his glass and put it back on the table. “Can you wake me up when Madame Pomfrey comes back? I’m just gonna… sleep for a minute.” He said, already feeling drowsy again. 

“Ditto,” said Alex, flopping on her back and closing her eyes. Magnus’s eyes were closed, but he smiled to himself thinking about Samirah’s reaction. He was very thankful for the both of them. 

***

By 8:32 A.M., Magnus was cleared to return to class as long as he returns to his dormitory to rest straight after. He had no problem with this, but Alex did. 

Together, he and Alex walked to Herbology from the infirmary. Samirah had headed in the opposite direction, towards her Advanced Charms class. 

“You know, when I said you simply must return to Herbology, I was kidding. Well, maybe, like, fifteen percent serious. But on the whole kidding. You really sure you don’t wanna take the day off?” Alex asked, sounding genuinely concerned. Getting pitied for being sick was a new experience for Magnus. It wore off quickly. He wasn’t really a fan. 

“Please, I’m fine. People deal with worse things every day. If I need you to fetch me a tissue I’ll let you know.”

Alex elbowed him in the rib cage, probably harder than necessary. “You know what I mean.” Magnus had a brief coughing fit from the shock of impact, then laughed. 

As soon as they stepped outside to cross the field to herbology, Magnus was hit by a stiff wind. He shivered and hugged his arms closer to his body. Right after his brain said, “Man, it’s cold,” it immediately said, “It’s cold?”

“It’s cold.” Magnus said, drawing his arms further in on his already skinny ribcage. Alex creased her eyebrows. 

“Let’s go back inside, then. Let’s just ditch Herbology and you can rest in the dormitory. It’s for the best.”

Magnus shook his head. “Absolutely not. I care too much about our Fanged Geraniums.” 

“Famous last words. Herbology is outdoors, dummy. You’ll freeze the whole time.”

“It’s not the cold that’s bothering me, it’s the fact that I’m cold. I don’t get cold. It’s a Frey thing.” Magnus slightly quickened his steps, hoping to get into the slight shelter of the greenhouse a little faster. 

“So Sam’s right, then. Something’s off with your magic.” Alex kept pace with him easily, given her long, lanky legs. 

Magnus shrugged. “It only makes sense. We should check out the library after class today.”

“Nice try, but you seriously need to rest. Who knows how bad this could get?”

“Ugggghhhhhhh,” Magnus groaned. “Is this what coddling feels like?” 

Alex, once again, elbowed him aggressively in the ribcage in response. Magnus, once again, started coughing. By the time they had their seats in the greenhouse, with their respective geraniums next to them, Magnus was still feeling the cold. He decided not to vocalize his complaints, though, because he was so very over being coddled. 

Alex was observant, though. While Halfborn was already protective of Magnus in his normal state, his treatment of him didn’t really change. Halfborn just took up the task of doing all the walking around the greenhouse and gathering supplies when they needed it. 

Alex, on the other hand, was watching Magnus like a hawk (which made Magnus a little uncomfortable to be in the spotlight, but at the same time, pleased). Magnus did not complain a bit, aside from coughing and blowing his nose frequently. What set her over the edge was watching him count out seeds from one pot to another. 

“Your fingers have no circulation.” Alex observed, abandoning her own work to stare at Magnus. 

“Very well spotted,” he said sarcastically, looking to Alex. “It’s Raynaud Syndrome, no big deal. What did I tell you? Cold hands, warm heart. Apparently charm can be clinically diagnosed.”

“Leave the sarcasm to me, Chase.” Magnus was a little affronted by this, but he let it slide. “Are you still cold? You’re literally shaking. Oh my Gods.” 

“Maybe a little chilly, but class is over soon. I think I’ll live.” 

“Do you want an extra sweater?”

Magnus couldn’t help but stop his seed counting to consider it. Whoever had brought him clothes had just brought him pants, a tie, and a white Oxford shirt. He looked to Alex again. “Do you have an extra sweater?” 

Alex pulled a balled up sweater out from her bag. It was green and had the Slytherin insignia on it. His cheeks heated up, because everyone knows what it means when you wear clothes from a different house. This circumstance was special, though, he told himself. People could think what they want. He was cold and needed a sweater, he rationalized. How very convenient that his new friend Alex had an extra one laying around. 

Alex unraveled it and handed it to him, surprisingly gently. “Here. Give it back to me whenever. Just put it on, though, it’s painful watching you pretend not to shake like a leaf in the wind.” 

Cautiously, Magnus took the sweater and put it on. It was surprisingly baggy, but then again he recalled Alex frequently opting to wear baggy clothes, especially in the cold. Magnus hadn’t realized he was staring, but then Alex said, “Okay, Maggie, quit it with the puppy eyes. You’re welcome.” Magnus smiled. He did feel warmer, but he wasn’t sure it was because of the sweater.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhh i love u all so much for reading!!! next chapter up soon hopefully, more plot-focused for sure!!


End file.
